I have a lovely relationship with my apple tree. My favourite garden job is pruning it in the winter. I love the blossom and the apples are a cheery red colour and make apple puree a pretty pink colour.
I usually make an apple puree at some point with the windfalls, or "fallydowns" as they're known in our family. It's like a tradition and I tend to make it overnight to have with yoghurt and cereal the next day. I've also added pears and that's delicious! Apple crumble was the next logical experiment and it worked!
Apples. Chopped into eighths, peeled if you prefer, and enough to fill your slow-cooker to at least a 2" level. (I used about 15 but some of the windfalls were quite icky and had to be amputated severely so that's no guide.)
Cloves - maybe 2-4 depending on how big your slow cooker is.
Cinnamon. 1-2 tsp.
Sugar - depends on how tart your apples are and how sweet you like stuff.
This isn't going very well, is it?
Directions:
Pop into your slow cooker and cook on low for around 7-9 hours or on High for 3-4.
Verdict:
Fragrant, yumptious loveliness. Heaven in a bowl. The ultimate comfort food.
Directions for *some* crumble
Rub equal volumes of flour (I use wholemeal) into some margarine until it resembles breadcrumbs, enough breadcrumbs to cover the apples to a depth of about 1/2" or 1 cm. Then mix in an equal volume of rolled oats to your breadcrumb mixture and sweeten to taste with brown sugar. Cover your apples and cook on High for 3 hours, starting from the raw apple stage. If you like a crispy top, remove the lid and pop under the grill in your oven for 3-4 minutes at the end. Our crumble went ungrilled and wasn't sodden but was a bit moister than usual. It was fine though.
Verdict:
A great way of having a favourite pudding (OK, who am I kidding, the only pudding I ever make) cooked in advance, leaving you hands free at dinner time. Or leaving the oven free for a Sunday roast. My toddler loved it and rechristened it "Apple Crumbum". Apple Crumbum it is from here on in!
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